about Poker runs or the further disintegration of the biker lifestyle- follow the money

On 10/7/09we posted (link)

The Cannibalization of the "American" Biker

Which of course we thought was one of our better posts guaranteeing it would  enter the black hole of unread blog posts. It was of course a rant.  Which will classify this post as a follow up rant.

A. Because we feel a follow up rant is called for and

B. We truly do love to rant.

But here's the gig. Can somebody tell me about this weird evolution in Poker runs.

Now we have ranted in the past how in the distant past poker runs were to help a downed brother with medical expenses, or getting out of jail, or getting his bike out of impound, or helping his family.

OF course we all know how they have morphed into bands of bikers(ummm recreational motorcycle riders) playing politically correct fine upstanding citizens trying to improve the biker image by riding in every run designed to help every cause but that of "Bikers" and/or "veterans".

Now it is all well and good to support cheerleaders (who ain't gonna play in the next wet t-shirt contest) and doggies that the county pays to feed.  But then comes time to raise money for the downed biker or vets and all the businesses are tapped out from giving to doggie runs and other charities that ain't never going to invite you to their house for dinner and will in fact run over you with a cell phone impaired SUV at their first opportunity!

I know it's just me that gets a little crazy when a biker shop tells me we can't give to a veterans run because we gave to much to the cheer leaders and the doggies (yes I love doggies, I have doggies, I feed my doggies)

But now there is a new wrinkle. Or maybe just new to me in my  ignorant bliss never before noticed.

Seems, now days ya go out and line up a bunch of establishments to participate in helping to sponsor your poker run. They do this for two reasons. To help bikers and maybe make a few bucks. Some even lose money doing  it.

So how do we repay these establishments. We tell the participants you do not have to stop at the stops. You can just go to the end and buy a hand.

HELLLLOOOOOOOOOOO!  Am I freaking crazy or does anybody else see the insanity of this as we shoot ourselves once again in our own feet.

First of all it is a run.  O.K. call me crazy but that means that you get on your motorcycle and you ride the run.  You stop at each one of the establishments that you support and they support you.  You do not fuck them over by passing them by.

Organizations that encourage this are in this humble writers opinion  doing two things. Getting greedy and screwing over those they went and got to agree to participate.  But hey that's OK.  It ain't about the biker lifestyle is it.  It's about the freaking money. right?

Now for those who do not have the foresight to see how this scenario is going to play out lets see if we can prognosticate a little.   In the future when we go into an establishment and ask them to participate Some are going to say "screw off". I  personally have heard complaints from establishments who do not feel they are being treated fairly.

I suspect that will  be ok though. Cause then you won't have to have a run. Just tell everybody we have picked a nice warm sunny day with a nice straight easy route so your ass won't get sore from riding 20 miles where you can go and give us money.

That will then become known as a "Poker Run".

The other little thing I have noticed that hardly seems worth mentioning because after all mentioning any of it is akin to pissing in the wind, is the number of people who win best hand or the 50/50 and KEEP IT ALL. Or give such a little amount back as to make them look like a jerk as they pat themselves on the back for their philanthropy.

Alas I know this is falling on deaf ears . But here's the gig (o.k. another gig) if you believe in the cause enough to ride it in it. Then you should believe in the cause enough to give at least half the money back. That's protocol o.k.   Some, insane that they may be, give it all back.  Yeah I know there are such wackos in the world. But then some of them have been around long enough to understand why it is they ride in the first place.

Think about it, you go on a run to benefit some downed bikers family whose children are going hungry and you take the hundred dollars put it in your pocket and walk away.  

Were it up to me we would take a sledge hammer to your "recreational vehicle" bust it up and auction it off for spare parts.

Now I know there has to be a least one person out there that will give me an AMEN!Add to Technorati Favorites

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Thanksgiving post I didn't write

The idea of adding religious overtones to a secular holiday has always seemed a bit funky to me.

See:

Myth: The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 and the pilgrims celebrated it every year thereafter.

Fact: The first feast wasn't repeated, so it wasn't the beginning of a tradition. In fact, the colonists didn't even call the day Thanksgiving. To them, a thanksgiving was a religious holiday in which they would go to church and thank God for a specific event, such as the winning of a battle. On such a religious day, the types of recreational activities that the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians participated in during the 1621 harvest feast--dancing, singing secular songs, playing games--wouldn't have been allowed. The feast was a secular celebration, so it never would have been considered a thanksgiving in the pilgrims minds.

After all I'm usually grateful when I wake up in the morning and realize I'm still on this side of the dirt.
Even on the mornings when I need a come-along to get out of bed. But thats another story.

I am not adverse however to taking two work days and making one a day to eat turkey and watch football (neither of which I am crazy about) and the other a day to go to shopping malls and go further into debt (for those who still have a little bit of debt they can go into).

I'm certainly not going to object if someone at some point in time during these two days decides it might be an opportune time to say a prayer.   But then I don't generally object when people want to say a prayer regardless the day of the year.  Even if it might be some stupid prayer.  Yes there are stupid prayers, just ask God.  Good Lord, could you imagine being God and hearing some of the things people pray for? 

"Get me out of this one God and I promise I won't do it again," is one of my favorites.

So whilst letting the massive amount of cholesterol laden food I shouldn't have eaten (but did so, so that at some future date I can pray, "God don't let this heart attack kill me.") and staring at a football game I had no interest in, but did so as a part of men folk bonding while the women folk bonded in the kitchen washing dishes and trying to figure out what would to do with the left over food that would feed family in Dafur for a week I pondered.

And what did I ponder on you may ask? And then again you may not, you may have already click off this page. Most assuredly you have if you have been here before.

Well let me see.  I pondered on the real rate of Unemployment at 17.5% and all the families that were celebrating thanksgiving in homes that are  fixing to be foreclosed on.

I pondered on the the people riding to the Dollar General in gas guzzling junkers, held together by bailing wire and duct tape, because they could not afford to benefit from the cash for clunkers program
that they had to have subsidized in part with some sort of tax money that no matter how poor you are you are going to pay.  I pondered on them looking at the discounted hamburger helper wondering which one taste b est without the hamburger.

I thought about giving thanks to our government for sending innocent children off to die in foreign lands for noble causes such as oil and corporate profits.

I though about how grateful I should be to live in the land of the free bankers and politicians.  Free to rape the citizenry of the populace for their own benefit while constitutional restraints are scoffed at or suspended.

And how grateful one should be that in order to not disturb the peace or be politically incorrect the populace so gratefully bends over and offers up their dignity and respect.

Ah yes, 2009 a year of gratitude for our many blessings bequeathed upon us by almighty God who of course exclusively blesses a nation ruled by hypocrites and thieves who are allowed to do so by those who allow themselves to be ruled.

The meek shall indeed inherit the earth (Psalms 25:8), sans America that is as we have sold her to the "philistines."

Do not get me wrong for I am much grateful.  I have slept in strange places and wondered what I might steal to eat the next day.  I have stared into the eyes of the grim reaper.  I would like to say with bravado I stared him down. But the truth would be I begged his patience.  Today that is not my case. Tomorrow it may be. But then that is tomorrow.

But know matter how grateful I may be, when sitting around a table giving thanks for the bounty of the table my mind wanders to the bankers and the politicians giving thanks to the bounty of the people who have less because of them. And I get pissed.

Why I should get "pissed" I do not know. After all a large portion of the populace voluntarily enriches the coffers of the rulers with one hand while stealing from there brethren with the other.  God Bless them, they are happy in never perceiving themselves as allies of the enemy.

But then I think of those in economic bondage through no fault of their own. No way out except at the mercy of those who have enslaved them. And I stay pissed.

So can one be pissed and "grateful" at the same time?  Yeah, but it ain't easy.Add to Technorati Favorites